In order to assemble the different elements which make up a watch bracelet, generally there have been employed hinges which permit articulation of the elements. A large number of designs employ spring bars or more simply pins which are run through the elements.
In order to avoid this type of connection which is costly both in material and in labour, it has already been proposed in order to couple the elements to employ one or several ties which maintain assembled the links of a bracelet, each tie traversing longitudinally a plurality of consecutive links. The ties are anchored in pieces arranged on each end of the plurality of links. Swiss Pat. No. CH-A-558 639 describes such a form of execution and in particular employs ties of a non-extensible flexible plastic material partially threaded. This arrangement presents several disadvantages. Initially, to have the ties threaded and to anchor them by means of nuts buried in the links requires links of a certain thickness. Further it will be necessary to provide bore holes having at their inlet a dimension slightly greater than the diameter of the threaded tie in order that relative movement of the links be possible. Finally, it will scarcely be possible to provide an aesthetic of the bracelet integrated with the case which supports it since there is no continuity of the tie from one end to the other of the two portions of the bracelet.
There are also known watch bracelets in which there is employed an attachment cord which passes through a peripheral canal provided in the case. Swiss Pat. CH-A No. 197 915 illustrates such an arrangement where however the bracelet does not have links, giving to such realization a rigid aesthetic aspect and greatly limiting the possibilities of desirable variations.
Swiss Pat. No. CH-A 318 558 provides a watch bracelet of which the elements are connected together by at least one flexible tie and wherein each element comprises two lateral channels arranged on either side of the longitudinal axis of the bracelet and through which there passes a strand of flexible tie. However, in this arrangement there are provided sliding rings which surround the adjacent parts of the flexible tie included between the successive elements of the bracelet so that said elements are not fitted into one another, thus preventing an aesthetic form corresponding to the classical realization of a link bracelet.
Swiss Pat. No. CH-A-537 167 describes a flexible expansion bracelet composed of movable elements strung out on at least one preformed longitudinal spring. One of these elements may be hollowed out in order to receive a watch case. However, this bracelet does not provide any fitting of one link to another so that it becomes necessary to arrange a certain play between the several movable elements in order to assure sufficient flexibility to the bracelet, this leading to discontinuity in the longitudinal line of the bracelet. In order to correct even slightly such a defect, the design of the cited document shows that inwardly curving links have been employed. Finally, when the bracelet is placed around the wrist, the two tempered wires forming the spring are no longer visible as is the case in the present invention.
Finally, if one refers to Swiss Pat. No. CH-A 490 827 it will be noted that the several elements of the bracelet are fitted into one another by articulations and maintained assembly by two flexible ties. At the same time in this document it is evident that the angle of articulation of one link on to another is greatly limited, that the ties do not pass via the watch case, and moreover that they are not visible as will be apparent from the description following.